Has it lost its luster because of its never-ending “materialism”? The once absolutely beautiful planet Earth is slowly becoming cancerous with cities metastasizing, yet the affluent Western cultures seemingly live in denial while militarily and financially propping up so-called friendly, puppet, quasi-democratic governments and corrupt capitalistic economies and regimes worldwide.
America is the model for the rest of the world, however, the explosion in trade, growth and investment ultimately rings hollow. If the American-based, new global economy is
so great, why are fisheries vanishing? Why is soil eroding, deserts spreading, floods growing in number and the oceans warming? Why are we still burning so much fossil fuel and losing biodiversity?
The system of economic accountability used in the U.S. is outdated and has not really changed significantly since 1945. The social and environmental costs are typically left out of any economic calculations so that capitalism always seems to be making “progress”, but are we living off the death of nature and off the backs of future generations?
How do economic professors at universities measure prgoress? Critics charge that the global economy is a potential doomsday machine as it stands on its present course. Economists must learn to subtract if they are ever to factor in the social and environmental costs of the new global economy.
SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCE: ADBUSTERS MAGAZINE FALL 1997